The Pie Crust Nobody Will Know is Gluten Free

This is the flour blend you’ve been looking for.

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Ready to try your hand at your first gluten-free pie? It’s all about nailing the flour combo.

Instead of looking for a single gluten-free flour, stock your pantry with several flours. When it comes to gluten-free flours and starches, they each have different qualities, and a gluten-free flour blend will help capture all the necessary compounds to make a flaky, flavorful gluten-free pie crust.

Not all gluten-free flour blends are the same, and different blends are better for different foods. Some flours also offer a better nutritional value. For example, coconut flour and buckwheat flour are both high in protein and fiber; corn flour and potato flour are lower. Whenever possible, choose carbs that include higher levels of protein and fiber to regulate blood sugar and stay full longer.

In this episode of Gluten-Free Tasty, Frances Largeman Roth makes a gluten-free pie crust using sorghum, millet, tapioca, and sweet rice flours. Sorghum flour has a neutral flavor, millet flour is high in protein, and tapioca flour lightens up the dough. Sweet rice flour is a little higher in calories, but only a small amount is needed to benefit from its binding properties.

The other crucial, “secret" ingredient is xanthan gum. This item is essential in gluten-free baking because it replicates the stickiness that gluten adds to bread dough.

Once you have this versatile pie crust, you’ll be able to make all your favorites. Enjoy a gluten-free pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving or a gluten-free apple pie for July 4th. You can also use this recipe to make a crust for quiche. Simply omit the turbinado sugar at the end.

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1/2 cup sweet rice flour + extra for dusting

1/4 cup sorghum flour

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

3 tablespoons ice water

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (optional)

1/4 cup millet flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 stick chilled, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1 tablespoon melted butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, combine the flours, sugar, xanthan gum, and salt.
3. Pulse in the cold butter until combined. Pour in the ice water while the machine is running until a dough has formed.
4. Dust a sheet of wax paper with rice flour and form the dough into a round disk. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
5. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 10-inch round. Transfer the dough to a glass pie dish and push the edges of the dough onto the lip of the pie plate. Crimp the dough with your fingers to form a crust.
6. Chill the dough in the freezer for 5 minutes before baking. Score the bottom of the crust with a fork, brush the crust with butter, sprinkle with turbinado sugar, and bake for 35-45 minutes.